Miranda Macias: The Path to Musical Perfection

The Round Top Festival Institute for performance and learning is hosting their six week orchestra intensive program this summer June 3-July 14.

In order to be a part of the program, you have to send in an audition during spring, where it is reviewed by a panel of judges. The auditions are very competitive, with a very small group of people being accepted for each instrument and spot in the orchestra.

During the six weeks the students stay, they have orchestra rehearsals, chamber music rehearsals, and lessons for their specific instrument with a masterclass teacher, and the teachers are switched out every two weeks. They also host concerts that are open to the public.

Miranda Macias, a participant in the program, is the orchestra’s bassoonist. She began her journey with music in North Texas, where she began playing the bassoon in sixth grade with her middle school band. She continued playing through high school, and ended up majoring in music education at Southern Methodist University. Halfway through her Bachelors program she decided to become a professional bassoonist and play in an orchestra. According to Miranda, the pathway to becoming a musician professionally is constant practice, along with not giving up and continuing to take as many auditions as you can, without being discouraged because of rejection.

When asked about why she chose Festival Hill to study at, Miranda said, “The sort of lifestyle you get to experience here, just grinding away sitting in a room interacting with other people in orchestra is why a lot of the students are here.”

“It’s a very unique and intimate connection you get when you’re playing music with someone, which is why a lot of people participate in the program, and it’s also why I’m here too,” she added. “To practice and work on something, that’s what makes getting the final product so much better.”

“My experience at Festival Hill has been great so far, I don’t have a single complaint. The teachers and faculty are amazing. They get world renowned teachers here, it’s been great working with them and learning. The teachers are from all over America, we get new conductors every week, and they’re all amazing,” said Miranda when asked about her experience at Festival Hill.

Miranda recently finished grad school, and she currently works in a training orchestra called “Orchestra Now.” Orchestra Now is a post graduate program located in New York.

If you would like to see Miranda along with the Festival Hill Orchestra perform, you can get tickets for their concerts on their website, at FestivalHill.org.